I keep trying to make these quicker and quicker, so I can get them off before the halftime ends. So let's get right to it.

P.S. I missed the first 8+ minutes of the first quarter, so I don't know what really happened during that time period.

Game Summary

Quickly here, San Antonio lead after the first quarter, 26-19. However, Miami, and more importantly LeBron James, got going and after one half, the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat are tied at 43.﻿

First Half Analysis of the San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs had an excellent first quarter, with Tim Duncan scoring 11 points en route to a 7-point advantage after the first quarter.

However, I can really only review the second quarter, and I was not impressed by what I saw. Duncan didn't score, and he picked up a technical foul (I'll never say that again).

Once again, the Spurs were extremely lethargic at the offensive end, committing nine turnovers. Will they ever learn to take care of the ball? This was the one thing I took away from them, and that's not good at all.

First Half Analysis of the Miami Heat

Miami had a very poor first quarter.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had a combined two points in the first quarter, which is unacceptable for the finals.

However, in the second quarter, LeBron James stepped it up, scoring 11 points on 5-7 shooting. Dwyane Wade got on the board with 6 points in the second quarter.

I'm very impressed with Miami's willingness to get into the paint. All of their shots seem to be coming form drives to the hoop and inside passes. This leads to open looks from three, and fouls, which turn into free throws.

However, Miami isn't taking good care of the ball. Miami had 11 turnovers in the first half, which is absolutely atrocious. They need to nip that right in the bud if they want to even this series.

Yeah, so I didn't get the review up immediately after the game, and I may wait the day after to post a review of every finals game to be quite frank. I can get all the access to the videos (because I can only use Youtube), photos form the game, etc.

However, because we're running short on time, I'm going to blend in this postgame with the next game's preview, which starts tonight at 7:00 CST.

After the Buzzer: Postgame﻿

Prediction: San Antonio: 104, Miami: 89

Final Score: San Antonio: 110, Miami: 95

I nailed the margin of victory, as long as the victor. In all reality though, this game was much closer than I thought it would be.

I thought San Antonio would take control of the game early, and the game would never be within 5-7 points after the first half.

Instead, Miami made this a very good game, and this game built a lot of excitement for the rest of the series.

However, the stadium's air conditioning in San Antonio failed due to an electrical problem, and unfortunately for Miami fans and fans of basketball who wanted to see a great finish to game one, LeBron James has a history of cramping problems. They showed their ugly head in game four of the 2012 finals against Oklahoma City, before he was able to check himself back in and make the clutch three that made the series 3-1. This time however, LeBron checked himself back into the game, made a layup off of the fastbreak, but was unable to get himself back on defense, and needed the help of the training staff to get back to the bench. I'll go into more detail about what I think of the social media backlash and #LeBroning in a moment, but let's keep going with a game summary.

When LeBron left the floor for the last time, the Spurs were leading the Heat, 94-92. For the rest of the game, the Spurs went on a 16-3 run to close it out, and take the 1-0 series lead.

Postgame Comments/Thoughts

I want to mainly address LeBron in this section, along with the media scrutiny he is currently facing, but first, let's talk about the Spurs.

The Spurs did an excellent job of spacing themselves on the floor to set up wide open looks throughout the fourth quarter. When the fourth quarter was all said and done, the Spurs had shot 88% (14-16) from the field! Just an amazing job of getting open looks and finally nailing the three-ball to separate themselves form their opponent.

I said at halftime that Danny Green, Boris Diaw, and Kawhi Leonard needed to step up their points production in order for the Spurs to win this game. Stepped up their game they did. Although Diaw only had 2 points, he also came up with 10 boards and 6 assists, which is a great number for a PF. Leonard and Green combined for 22 points in the second half, which Green sparking a 13-4 run in the 4th quarter, putting up 11 points in a span of 1:54.

The Spurs, though, are going to need to take MUCH better care of the ball, because this result won't happen again if they continue to rack up the turnovers. In game one alone, the Spurs had 23 turnovers. 23! their playoff average before the game was 12, and they're lucky that Miami turned the ball over multiple times as well.

Now for the Heat, let's address the elephant in the room. LeBron James left the game early due to cramps. Social media had a field day with this, creating a fad called "LeBroning", which I can show, better than explain.

This is the act of LeBroning, which I have multiple problems with.

But, I have two problems with this "LeBroning".

First, this isn't LeBroning. Actually, LeBroning is, and had already been, a thing for the past couple of months. LeBroning is when you flop because you made light contact with another person, such as this.

Which I find rather hilarious.

However, my second issue with this is we're actually making fun of a person because they're human. I really can't explain well why I hate this new "LeBroning" (which I dub fake LeBroning), so I found an article which explains it much better than I can.

Hope the link works, it should. It basically calls out all the people who made the pictures.

But there's something more behind why I dislike it, and I think it has to do with social media in itself. I'm getting really tired of all the sports memes and sports trends being called "(insert name here)-ing". Can't you come up with something more creative? You even copied another popular meme, one in which I find much funnier.

On top of that, I just can't get into the whole concept of making fun of one person for your own gain. It's like we make fun of somebody else because of injury, and we're WAY better than he ever could be, right? Unlike the LeBroning of before, which was LeBron flopping all over the place which I find suitable for criticism and mocking, this one was a sports injury that can happen to anyone at anytime. Are we really much better off because of this? Nah.

But enough about that, let's get to the real game.

The Heat were in this game until LeBron left, then you could see the huge gap in talent between the two teams. The next possession, Danny Green drilled a 3, then Kawhi Leonard checks in for Green, and drains a 26-foot three himself. The Heat wee lacking athleticism after LeBron left, and there was nothing the remaining starters could do about it.

If the Heat want to win game two, they need to be able to take care of the ball. They forced San Antonio to make 23 turnovers, but that's not very helpful when you make 18 turnovers yourself.

Mario Chalmers has to stay out of foul trouble. Chalmers picked up his third foul with 7:00 left in the second quarter, then picked up his 4th foul with 8:51 left in the third quarter. He then proceeded to pick up his 5th foul with 11:11 left in the fourth quarter. You see where this is going? Chalmers has the ability to get past Tony Parker on the drive and defend Parker pretty well, especially with the bum foot Parker has. However, getting in foul trouble makes you become more cautious on defense, allowing the player you're guarding to start going right at you in hopes you pick up more fouls. If the Heat want to win game two, Chalmers needs to stay out of foul trouble.

LeBron James addressed the media on Friday, saying he was very sore from the cramps suffered in game one, but will be 100% in game two.

Game Two Preview: Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs

I'm really looking forward to tonight's game. Game one, at least for 3 1/2 quarters, provided everything we wanted to see. It was a close battle all the way through before LeBron was unable to stay on the court. What can we look forward to in game two?﻿

Prediction

Well, I'm going to dive right into it. I've already addressed what each team needs to do better in the postgame column, so this is just about making a prediction. Will we see a repeat of game one, sending San Antonio up 2-0 as the teams head to Miami, or will Miami even the series up at 1-1? Will we see a close game again, or will this one be a blowout?

Well, I think this game will be a very close game. The lead will never be more than 7 points throughout the game. This will comedown to which team makes the key plays first?

I think that team will be Miami. I think LeBron James is going to come out, and score over 30 points. I actually think it isn't out the realm of possibility he rails off a triple-double in this game.

Although the Spurs have a better team than Miami, I think Miami has the best player, and tonight, it's going to be a one-man show. LeBron goes off in a Miami win.

Game Two: Miami: 102, San Antonio 94

We've reached halftime in San Antonio, and the San Antonio Spurs lead the Miami Heat, 54-49.

Halftime Report on the San Antonio Spurs

For the Spurs, 24 of their 54 points have come off the bench, and San Antonio's bench is outscoring Miami's bench, 24-12. I predicted that Manu Ginobili would struggle tonight, but that prediction is dead wrong. Manu has 11 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals in 15 minutes. Marco Belinelli had 8 points off of two 3-pointers. Although he has no points, Boris Diaw still had 6 boards and 3 assists.

Tim Duncan leads the team in scoring, finally missing his first shot with one minute left to go in the half. He has 15 points on 6-7 shooting. Tony Parker has been solid as well, chipping in 10 points as well as 3 assists.

The Spurs shot 50% from both the field, and the three-point line. The Spurs have more free throw attempts than the Heat, 14-8.

However, the Spurs have kept Miami in this game with their sloppy play. San Antonio committed 10 turnovers throughout the first half, and that needs to change if they want to keep this lead.

Both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are scoreless after one half, and they'll need to pick it up on the offensive end in order to boost the Spurs to a game one victory.﻿

Halftime Report for the Miami Heat

For the Miami Heat, the Big Three have led the way for the team.

LeBron James leads the team with 13 points shooting 5-9 from the field. Dwyane Wade has 2 points while shooting 5-8 from the field. Wade has been looking good, driving the lane with authority. Chris Bosh has 10 points along with 7 boards.

Off the Bench, Ray Allen has 10 points including 3 three-pointers. However, he has missed the last three wide-open looks he's had. Key words though, are wide-open. The Spurs have to do a better job of closing in on the Miami shooters.

However, the Miami Heta haven't been without their struggles offensively either. A sloppy game all over, the Heat had nine turnovers after the first half.

Miami is also getting out-rebounded, 22-17. If they want to have a chance to win this game, they need to start crashing the boards harder.

Mario Chalmers also isn't helping the team any. Although he has three steals, he also has three fouls, and had to leave the second quarter at the 7:00 mark because of foul trouble. He needs to start playing excellent defense, but without fouling in the process.

So, I'm prepared to do something I have never done with this blog before, but I think it is something that will challenge me a little bit.

I'm going to watch every single NBA Finals game, including a preview, a halftime report, and a post-game wrap-up of every game.

However, today is just about making a series preview, which will detail the strengths and weaknesses behind the two teams, how they matched up in the regular season, and I'll wrap it up with my prediction on who will win the Larry O' Brien Championship Trophy.

I will also make a prediction on who will win Game 1 in this preview.

So, without further ado, let's get to it.

NBA Finals Preview

San Antonio Spurs

Miami Heat

Holy gods of basketball, this is the NBA Finals we've all been wanting to see. After last years epic NBA Finals which saw Miami defeat San Antonio in seven games, we, as basketball fans, wanted to see these two goliaths battle against one another, again. Last year's Finals have been regarded by many as the greatest NBA Finals in the 21st century. It's the old classic tale of building through the draft vs. buying through free agency, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

We will start first by discussing the Spurs. All stats are postseason stats with the exception of detailing the regular season match-up.

Strengths of the San Antonio Spurs

The most obvious strength for the Spurs is Home-Court Advantage. This could be a deciding factor when it comes down to a do-or-die game seven.

Another big strength that the Spurs have is their bench. People seem to forget that Manu Ginobili is NOT a starter on this team, rather, he is the backup Shooting Guard behind Danny Green. But the bench is more besides Manu. It's also Boris Diaw, who can spread the floor due to his ability to shoot 3's. he's also 6'8", and 250 lbs. of inside wrecking machine. He can change a game due to everything he can do.

Boris Diaw has been a stud off the bench this postseason, averaging 10 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 23.8 minutes. He's also currently shooting 53.5% this postseason.

The rest of the bench is littered with three-point shooters such as Patti Mills (34%) and Matt Bonner (33%). There's also Cory Joseph, who had a great game four against Oklahoma City (11 points off of 4/7 shooting, and a point differential of +11 in 17 minutes), albeit in a loss.

Also, Gregg Popovich is a better coach than Erik Spoelstra. Although I think Spoelstra doesn't get the credit he deserves as a coach (you don't just buy championships, too many examples to name), Pop is just a better coach. He's a master of tactician and strategy, and with Popovich on the Spurs side, it gives them a much-needed boost.

Weaknesses of the San Antonio Spurs

This is one everybody views as a strength, but I view it as a weakness, and that's the revenge factor. I think when NBA teams start to want to take out revenge on a team, they lose their focus just a little bit, and in the NBA Finals, a little bit could mean the entire series. Many people consider this as the Spurs motivation, but if your motivation is just to take out revenge, you begin to turn blind of the little things because you are raging about how last season played out. If this is the Spurs we are going to see, I'm going to be worried.

I also think that the Spurs starting five is not as good as Miami's. I think Tim Duncan is better than Chris Bosh, and I'll take Tiago Splitter over the rotation of Battier, Haslem, or Lewis (whoever Miami feels like starting). I'm speaking this through the viewpoint of when the Spurs are on offense, because although Bosh has played much more of the 5 than the 4, he's going to have to play the 4 and defend against Duncan, especially since he is the Heat's best inside defender, at least in the starting line-up (case can be made for Chris Anderson). This is going to lead to mismatches at the 5 spot between Splitter and whoever he goes up against. Don't be surprised if Splitter breaks out this series and averages in double figures throughout the series.

However, I think positions 1-3 are in the Heat's favor. The obvious two are that I like LeBron Jame over Kawhi Leonard at the 3 spot, and I like Dwyane Wade over Danny Green at the 2.

However, I think Mario Chalmers is better than Tony Parker, especially a hobbled one. Don't get me wrong, Parker is a better player than Chalmers when healthy, but there's absolutely no way Tony Parker is going to be 100% at any time throughout this series. He even admits so to a French radio station, saying "I may not be 100% but I'll be there (in the starting lineup)" (translated of course). Sure, he's going to have moments where he shines, but they're not going to be that often with his twisted ankle. I think Mario Chalmers will be more consistent throughout these playoffs, and he's going to be able to get around Parker using his agility and speed. Because of these factors, I think Chalmers and the Heat have the advantage at the 1.

With Tony Parker's twisted ankle, the Spurs come into the NBA Finals with one of their starts not at 100%.

Strengths of the Miami Heat

It's a lot of the opposite things for San Antonio. One big thing is near 100% health. Outside of the bruised right knee of Chris Anderson, the Heat are relatively injury-free.

Another big thing is their starters. They have a huge backcourt advantage. Dwyane Wade, who is constantly questioned about if he is slowing down or not, is a better off-guard than Danny Green.

Dwyane Wade has had an excellent postseason so far, averaging 18.7 points per game while shooting 51.9% from the field, his best percentage in the postseason since the 2010 postseason.

Also, LeBron James is a better Small Forward than Kawhi Leonard, but didn't we already know that?

Another big thing I thing is a strength, that I believe is one of San Antonio's weaknesses, it how the Heat feel "slighted" by how people think they got lucky winning it all last season. Here's a quote from LeBron during yesterday's press conference about if the Heat feel slighted by people remarking that the Spurs gave away last year's Finals.

"Absolutely (we feel slighted). I can't sit here and lie to you, we do. We feel slighted in the fact that it went seven. It went seven. It wasn't like it was 3-0 and you know, they had us in Game 4 and we took it and won four straight."

And I think this rings true. Although others such as Reid Forgrave believe that this means nothing, I think he's wrong. I think that the Heat DO feel slighted at the fact that people think they didn't win the title, but the Spurs lost it. I think this rings true for the team and I think you'll see it throughout this series.

The reason why this is a strength for the Heat and not a weakness is because they already come into the series with nothing to prove, and with that, are probably lacking as much motivation as the Spurs have, not that they aren't motivated. Because people believe the Heat didn't win the title last season, they now have something to play for, to shut the public up and for sure win the title because they were the better team (which is what happened last year, but I digress)

Weaknesses of the Miami Heat

There's not a lot about this team that is weak, but there are a few weaknesses that need to be addressed.

The biggest weakness is their bench. You have Ray Allen, who can make a clutch three at any point in the game, but after him, who else is there?

Whoever the Heat start between the trio of Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem, and Rashard Lewis, the other two will be backups, and both are getting up there in age. For the sake of argument, let's say Shane Battier gets the nod through most of the series. The other two are getting up there in age. Haslem is 33 and Lewis is 34. heck, it's not like Battier is any younger. Matter of fact, he's the oldest of the three at 35.

Then there's James Jones (seen 6 minutes throughout last 5 games, also 33), Norris Cole (averaging 5.8 points through last 5 games), and Chris Anderson (good defense, averaging 9.7 boards throughout last 5 games, not 100%, 35 years old).

Their bench just doesn't compare to what San Antonio can provide. If this series comes down to which team can provide more production of the bench, the Spurs will win this series.

Another weakness of the Heat is their frontcourt compared to the Spurs.

I'm going to assume that Chris Bosh will play the 5 on offense, but the 4 on defense, and whoever starts at the 4 will play the 4 on offense, but will play the 5 on defense. Why do they switch on defense? Because of what Tim Duncan can bring. Because Duncan primarily plays the 4 spot, Chris Bosh is going to have to take over that role and defend him. This leaves whoever plays the 4 spot to guard against Tiago Spitter, who has consistently gotten better throughout the season. This is a big mismatch that I think the Spurs can, and will, exploit.

Regular Season Series﻿

The Regular Season saw a series split, with both teams winning at home.

The first game of the series was in Miami, which saw Miami defeat San Antonio, 113-101.

Chris Bosh had a stellar game for Miami, shooting 9-10 from the field en route to a 24-point performance. LeBron James had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists all while creating a +21 differencial when he was on the court.

Dwyane Wade played off the bench this game, scoring 8 points while dishing out 5 assists. This game was the first game Wade played off the bench in over six years.

As for the Spurs, they had injury trouble, as Kawhi Leonard (Hand), Danny Green (Hand), and Tiago Splitter (Shoulder) all did not suit up for this game.

Tim Duncan led the team in scoring with 23 points off of 9-13 shooting. Tony Parker had 11 points along with 7 assists in this game. Manu Ginobili had more turnovers (2) than he had made field goals (1), finishing 1-7 from the field for a measly 3 points.

The second game was played in San Antonio, which saw the Spurs defeat the Heat, 111-87.

The Spurs were led by Duncan once again, who had a double double of 23 points and 11 boards. Boris Diaw had 16 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. Tony Parker had 17 points and Kawhi Leonard had 5 steals to go along with 11 points.

As for the Heat, they were led in scoring by Chris Bosh, who had 24 points. LeBron had 19 points, but it took him 18 shots to get there. LeBron also had 8 boards, 7 assists, and an ugly 5 turnovers. Same story for Wade, who had 16 points off of 15 shots.

Series Prediction﻿

Now for the one thing everyone really cares about, what is your prediction? Now,last year I had the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games, and we all know how that one turned out.

Now this year, I believe it will come down to two things. One will be the health of Tony Parker, and the other will be Home-Court Advantage.

I think that Tony Parker will not be 100% throughout many of the playoff games, but I think he can still turn it on when he needs to.

I also think that because the Spurs have Home-Court Advantage, that is going to play a huge role in who wins this series.

So my Prediction is...

San Antonio Spurs in Seven Games

Game One Prediction﻿

I was going to make my game one prediction separate from my series preview, but the more I thought about it, the more it didn't make much sense. I was going to present the same exactly points up in there that I am here. So, I'm going to combine the two.

there's nothing much else to say other than my prediction.

I saw the winner is...

San Antonio over Miami, 104-89

Now for the more nerdy stats predictions.

First, with the Spurs:

I think Tim Duncan has a double-double tonight, putting up 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Tony Parker turns up the intensity, and dishes out 6 assists along with 15 points.